December 31st Through the Years: 2021—2024

Dec. 31—2021: Turn of the Year

 

… The day began dropping off the grandkids and daughter at Oakland Airport—at 6:00 am. A morning of reclaiming the house and then off for a long walk in the park. On this, the last day of the year, I am accompanied by the full community of selves that live together in this body-mind— my doubts and confidences, my shortcomings and successes, my old hurts and wounds and disappointments alongside my power to heal, my unshakeable faith, my muscular hope. All huddled together in this fragile, feeble, foolhardy, flowering, forgiving, fun-loving human frame. …

 

In six minutes, it will be New Year’s pandemonium in Denver and Phoenix and by the time it rolls to San Francisco, I believe I will be greeting it in my sleep. Just this final post— the 365^th with a one-per-day average!— to acknowledge the perpetual renewal of hope against all odds, the certainty of more grief and bewilderment and mayhem up ahead, but also the happiness we ourselves can create through the simple decision to live wholly and attentively, to accept and embrace and enact the design that accompanied us into this life. On we go, however we can, staggering forth rejoicing.

 

 

Dec. 31—2022: Finding My Way Home

… What is this life but a constant seesaw of exile and homecoming? There are a thousand ways to leave home or lose your way or get evicted and if we’re lucky, many ways to find our way back. But our home keeps moving its address and what works one time fails miserably the next. Nothing you can depend on to always take you there and no dependable address that is consistently the there that becomes here…

 

 And so I post my 365^th Blogpost/one-a-day average certainly too-long story to exorcise the little and big demons and metaphorically ring those bells of hope out full-force on this electronic street. May you and yours prosper and thrive— in friendship, in beauty, in Spirit.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Dec. 31—2023: Year’s End

 

… as we turn into the New Year, my main petition to the gods is to grant me continued health so that I can continue to be of use in this broken world. Bring some happiness to others and myself any way and any time I can, be it through music, teaching, writing or simple acts of unasked-for kindness and smiles at strangers. The 2024 calendar is filled with opportunities to do all of that and more, here, there and everywhere, and I look forward to every day of it. Which means I want to be here for it. Please.

 

And I want you to be also. Forget the diet and the great American novel— let’s just be kind to each other, to ourselves and savor each moment we can of this precious, precious life.

 

As good a send-off as any to a most marvelous year, with hopes for more to come.

 

Happy New Year, my friends. 

 

 

Dec. 31—2024: Wrapping It Up

 

…Sometime in early December, I made a list of all the workshops I had taught, places traveled, people visited, books published, concerts performed, film showings of The Secret Song, TV series watched, books read or listened to, as well as other notable things like getting hearing aids, going to a poetry retreat, biking in Slovenia. In spite of November, it was a fine year and I’m grateful beyond measure for the strength, energy and health to keep doing all these things I love so much. Many difficulties lie ahead, both personal (my daughter’s divorce, my ongoing vestibular dizziness, the difficulties of aging) and collective (the nightmare of the election results). And much to look forward to as well—teaching in Brazil, Hong Kong, Ghana, Carmel Valley and a possible bike trip to France. 

 

And so the Wheel of Fortune turns round and round, now six hours away from its next spin. Wishing all of you the best of health, happiness and healing and once again, thank you for reading. May we all “drink a cup of kindness yet for the sake of auld lang syne.”